AUS/NZL – Star-studded Breakers exposed

AUCKLAND (NBL) - The first serious chinks in the armour of the New Zealand Breakers were exposed during two round 20 defeats in the NBL in Oceania.

The Breakers fell at home to the Gold Coast Blaze, 94-91, on Wednesday night, before travelling to Wollongong where the Hawks busted out of their form slump with a 104-81 demolition of the ladder leaders.

Wollongong were best served by import Gary Ervin (25 points, 10 assists, 3 steals) and forward Oscar Forman (22 points), while internationals Kirk Penney (25 points) and Mika Vukona (10 points, 13 rebounds) performed strongly for the Breakers.

The Blaze were also on track to thrash the Breakers, leading by 21 points in the final quarter before Kirk Penney (21 points), CJ Bruton (17 points) and Gary Wilkinson (17 points, 9 rebounds) caught fire and dragged New Zealand within moments of a spectacular victory.

The efforts of Ira Clark (23 points, 11 rebounds), Chris Goulding (21 points) and captain James Harvey (17 points) were enough to seal the victory and keep the Blaze’s playoff hopes alive.

The previous round those two teams had faced each other on the Gold Coast, Harvey again the star, scoring 27 points as the Blaze fell 123-115 in double overtime, while Ira Clark exposed the Breakers interior weakness with 23 points.

For New Zealand, again it was Penney (35 points), Wilkinson (21 points) and Bruton (20 points) doing the damage, while rising international star Tom Abercrombie was strong with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

Gold Coast are now 11-12 and just half a game out of the top four, while the Breakers still sit first with an 18-5 record, and face a crucial game against the second placed Townsville Crocs this Thursday in Auckland.

The Crocs destroyed Sydney 96-68 with fringe Australian national squad member Peter Crawford exploding for 31 points on 10/13 shooting.

Luke Schenscher (13 points, 6 rebounds), Michael Cedar (16 points) and Will Blalock (13 points) also performed well in the win, while only veteran forward Ben Knight (19 points, 9/9 shooting) provided any highlights for the Kings.

The Crocs now sit one game clear in second place with a 14-8 record after earlier thrashing Wollongong 75-56 behind 16 points and 9 rebounds from Schenscher.

In the other game of round 20 the Cairns Taipans finals hopes took a hit when the fell 76-75 to Sydney in Cairns after leading by as many as 17 points in the second quarter.

Julian Khazzouh (23 points on 10/14 shooting, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Patrick Sanders (17 points) were the stars for Sydney, with Sanders making a number of tough shots to close the margin late in the game.

For Cairns, who sit precariously in fourth spot with an 11-11 record despite dropping seven of the last eight games, Ron Dorsey (20 points, 7 rebounds), Alex Loughton (16 points, 7 rebounds) and Ian Crosswhite (14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) performed well.

FIBA
Paulo Kennedy